Page 30 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

5. Purchase a decent tripod (around $50) and use it.

I have a hard time following this piece of advice. If you look at a lot of my
videos, especially my daily announcements, you’ll notice that a lot of them are
shaky. I usually forget to set up my tripod, and that’s the result. For a quick
announcement video I’m not too concerned, but for more important videos I
like to make sure to set up a tripod. It gives the video a more polished feel and
makes it easier for students to watch.
Most tripods come with various attachments to let you switch between dif -
ferent devices. I have one for my phone and one for my iPad. The tripod I’m
currently using (my second one) was about $50 on Amazon. My first one
broke. Apparently if you fall down some stairs with it, the tripod might break.
(Thankfully there was nobody there to see it happen.)

6. Be aware of where you are looking when you are
recording. If you use a script, tape it as close to the
camera as possible.

Be aware of where the camera is located on your recording device. Look direct -
ly into the camera. If you spend an entire video looking down at a script it will
be obvious, and your videos will lose that professional flair. I can’t tell you how
many videos my newspaper classes recorded with the students looking down at
their page and never once looking up. Your audience wants to see your eyes. It
should feel like you are talking directly to them.
One way to help with this is to tape your script as close to the camera as possible.
That way if you have to look at it from time to time, it isn’t obvious. It looks more
natural. I’d also recommend writing a bulleted list instead of a word-for-word
script. You can start with a script, but eventually whittle it down to a few points.
This helps the dialogue to flow more naturally and keeps you from sounding like
a robot. (Unless you are recording a robot video, in which case, carry on.)

7. Record in a location with the best sound options.

The difference between a good video and a great one is often determined by
sound quality, which go wrong in so many ways. The first thing to think about
is your location and background noise. If you are recording with the built-in
microphone on your recording device, record in a quiet room. Even with a good

106 Chapter 9: The Kids Menu: Creating Videos with Students

Awesome Sauce: Create Videos to Inspire Students, Engage Parents and Save You Time 30